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Chocolate Macaroons

I actually made these!!
A little while ago Macarons or Macaroons became a huge hit in Queensland and in my kitchen. Bede and I got the book 'Secrets of Macarons' by Jose Marechal from his grandmother as a wedding gift. Didn't take me long before I was making an attempt at the yummy sweets. I also used another recipe for chocolate macaroons that I found somewhere on line but I can remember where it can from. 


Basic equipment for making most macaroons:
  • kitchen scales
  • electric beater
  • piping bag (pretty cheap from ebay)
  • piping nozzle (round)
  • large flat baking tray
  • baking paper
  • sieve
  • whisk
  • spatula
  • thermometer (I just guessed)
  • macaroon template
 

The template ensures that when you join them together they are all the same size. You can grab a template from here and just print it out (some you print twice and stick them together) and slip it under the baking paper - Don't forget to take it out before baking.


So here you have it. This is a combination of the book and the online recipe...it just worked well :)





Chocolate Macaroons

3 egg white (room temp)
210g caster sugar
125g almond meal
30g granulated sugar
1tsp coco powder

Chocolate Gnashe

220-250g Dark chocolate (55-75%)
200mL pouring cream
10-20g sugar
50g butter

Macaroons
  1. Measure all ingredients first
  2. Process (in a blender or with an electric beater) the coco powder, almond meal and caster sugar
  3. then sieve the mixture (throw away the big bits)
  4. Start beating the eggs
  5. When they turn bubbly slowly add the caster sugar
  6. Continue to beat until stiff like a meringue
  7. Fold in the almond meal, about 1/3 at a time (try not to 'knock' the air out of the meringue
  8. pipe the mixture onto the baking paper (in the tray) using the template
  9. tap the tray on the bench to remove air pockets
  10. Remove the guide and let the tray sit at room temperature for 30 minutes so it forms a crust (when you brush the top of them you won't pick up any mixture, this prevents them from cracking on top)
  11. Pre-heat oven to 150 degrees Celsius
  12. Bake for 14 minutes until you can tap the shell and they have 'feet' (the little skirt around the base)
  13. wait until they are cool before pulling them off the paper
N.B. The pink macaroons are more recent but wanted to use them for demonstration.



 Gnashe
  1. Break the chocolate into pieces in a mixing bowl
  2. Heat the cream and the sugar in a saucepan over a medium heat
  3. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and gently combine to dissolve the chocolate
  4. Finally incorporate the butter, cut into small pieces. Combine we so that the gnache is smooth
  5.  Allow to cool to room temperature, then place in the refrigerator for at leave 1 hour before fill the macaroons (even better if made the day before)
 Finally:
  1. Using the piping bag to pipe the gnashe onto the biscuits and push two together like a sandwich. 
  2. Place the macaroons in the fridge for an hour.






The great thing about this book is that it provides all of the explanations (why do we do it that way?) and shows exactly how to do it. Also provides heaps of different flavoured macaroon recipes and some decorating ideas.


HAPPY MACAROONING!
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